For centuries, philosophers have debated as to whether or not physical objects continue to exist when they are not being observed. Are physical objects ‘real’ or are they the product of imagination?

Alphomism suggests that much of the heat of this debate stems from the search for an absolute answer. The only absolutes, it is claimed, are space and energy. With everything else, what we should always be looking for is the most economical theory.

Whilst it is vaguely possible that the outer world is nothing but a mental construct, it would be fiendishly difficult to work out a theory as to how objects pop in and out of existence so conveniently. Easily the simplest approach is to make use of the clear notions of an outer and an inner world.